Florida Gators
2008 Recruiting Class
Star of the Class
Will Hill S 6-2 203 West Orange, N.J./St.
Peters Preparatory
Parade All-American…Competed at the ESPNU Under Armour High School All-American
Game, where he returned an interception for 62 yards...First-team all-state
selection as a senior…USA Today first-team All-American…Two-time New Jersey
Star-Ledger Offensive Player of the Year…Three-time AP New Jersey first-team
all-state selection…Multidimensional threat for St. Peters Preparatory School,
serving as a three-year starter at quarterback, safety and a returner on special
teams…Recorded three interceptions, made 36 tackles and broke up three passes
during senior campaign…Gained 960 yards on the ground while tossing for 947
yards and accounting for 26 touchdowns (19 passing, seven rushing)…Led the
Marauders to a 34-2 record in three years, including a 12-0 mark and the NJSIAA
Non-Public Group 4 Championship as a sophomore…Responsible for 3,817 all-purpose
yards and accounted for 34 touchdowns as a junior…Rushed for 682 yards (11.7
yards per carry) and 13 touchdowns as a junior while throwing for 758 yards and
11 scores…Picked off three passes as a junior and brought back to kickoffs for
touchdowns…Returned an interception for a touchdown the first time he touched
the ball in 2004
Potential Instant Impact Players
Omar Hunter DT 6-0 322 Buford, Ga./Buford
Parade All-American…First-team Class AA all-state selection as a senior…Played
in the Under Armour High School All-American Game…Ranked as the strongest player
in the Under Armour All-Star Awards… Helped lead Buford to an undefeated season
and a state title his senior year…Georgia Sports Writers’ Association Class AA
choice….Registered 93 tackles and seven sacks as a senior…Had 85 tackles, six
sacks, a fumble recovery and 13 tackles for a loss as a junior…No. 37 in the
ESPN 150 and ranked as the No. 2 defensive tackle in the position
rankings…Received five-star billing and rated the second-best defensive tackle
in the nation by Scout.com
Carl Moore WR 6-3 220 Roseville,
Calif./Cordova (Sierra C.C.)
One of the most highly-coveted junior college
players in the class of 2008 praised for his combination of size, strength and
speed…Racked up 1,068 yards on 73 receptions with 16 touchdowns during his
sophomore campaign at Sierra…Tied for fourth in total points scored and rated
sixth across the California junior college system in receptions (73) as a
sophomore…Helped lead Sierra to a second-ranked billing towards the end of the
year and played in the NorCal Junior College Championship Game against the City
of College of San Francisco…Reeled in 61 catches for 960 yards and seven
touchdowns as a freshman with a long of 65…Averaged 15.7 yards per reception in
his first year at Sierra…Also rated as a five-star recruit by Scout.com…PREP:
Hauled in 21 catches for 410 yards and five touchdowns in just three games
during his senior year at Cordova High School
Rest of the Class
Brendan Beal LB 6-3 223 Bangor, Pa./Liberty
Jeremy Brown CB 5-10 163 Orlando/Boone
Adrian Bushell DB 5-10 183 DeSoto, Texas/DeSoto
Jeffrey Demps ATH 5-8 176 Okahumpka/South Lake
Troy Epps DT 6-0 285 Union, S.C./Union (Coffeyville C.C.)
Dee Finley S 6-2 200 Auburn, Ala./Auburn
William Green DE 6-4 215 Hoover, Ala./Spain Park
Frankie Hammond, Jr. WR 6-0 170 Hollywood/Hallandale
Omarius Hines WR 6-1 205 Coriscana, Texas/Corsicana
Janoris Jenkins CB 5-10 177 Pahokee/Pahokee
Byran Jones OL/DL 6-3 305 Jacksonville/Nathan Bedford Forrest
T.J. Lawrence WR 6-0 185 Lakeland/Lakeland Kathleen
Lerentee McCray LB 6-2 205 Ocala/Dunnellon
Earl Okine DE 6-5 250 Gainesville/Gainesville
Matt Patchan OL 6-6 260 Tampa/Armwood
T.J. Pridemore LB 6-0 236 Gainesville, Ga./Buford
Sam Robey OL 6-4 275 Louisville, Ky./Trinity
Caleb Sturgis K 5-10 182 St. Augustine/St. Augustine
David Young OL 6-6 290 Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville
-
2007 Florida Season
-
2007 Florida Preview
-
2006 Florida Season
2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction:
9-3
2007 Record: 9-4
Sept. 1
Western Kent.
W 49-3
Sept. 8
Troy
W 59-31
Sept. 15
Tennessee
W 59-20
Sept. 22
at Ole Miss
W 30-24
Sept. 29
Auburn
L 20-17
Oct.
6 at
LSU L 28-24
Oct.
20 at
Kentucky W 45-37
Oct.
27
vs. Georgia
L
42-30
Nov.
3
Vanderbilt
W 49-22
Nov.
10 at
So. Carolina W 51-31
Nov.
17
Florida
Atlantic
W 59-20
Nov.
24
Florida State
W 45-12
Capital One Bowl
Jan. 1 Michigan L 41-35 |
2008 Early Lookahead
Why to get excited: The Gators spent last year retooling and
reloading after a national title winning 2006, and now they come out
loaded with eight starters returning on offense, including QB Tim Tebow,
eight on defense and punter Chas Henry, who helped them finish ninth in
the nation, and first in the SEC, in net punting. Not only that, but
they're even better with former USC RB Emmanuel Moody ready to roll. The
four true road games (Georgia doesn't count): Tennessee, Arkansas,
Vanderbilt, Florida State. After the trip to Knoxville, that's not that
bad.
Why to be grouchy: While Miami might not be Miami, when it
comes to battling for the national title, it's still asking for trouble
to play the Hurricanes, along with the trip to Florida State and games
against Hawaii and The Citadel. Getting Ole Miss and Arkansas from the
West is a big break, but LSU has to go to The Swamp. Most of the
starters are back on defense, but there wasn't much of a pass rush last
year and now Derrick Harvey is gone.
The number one thing to work on is: Better play from the pass
defense. Massive changes were needed in the secondary going into last
year, and it showed with the SEC's worst pass defense. The group had
problems with accurate passers, bombers, and everyone in between, and
while part of the problem was a lack of a pass rush, the corners have to
be better. The spotlight will be on Wondy Pierre-Louis and Joe Haden.
Biggest offensive loss: WR Andre Caldwell
Biggest defensive loss: DE Derrick Harvey
Best returning offensive player: QB Tim Tebow, Jr.
Best returning defensive player: LB Brandon Spikes, Jr.
2007 Recap
Recap:
Florida learned in 2007 that even defending national champions need
to regroup every once in a while. Despite sporting Heisman winner
Tim Tebow and one of the most prolific offenses in the country, the
Gators struggled to fill the gaps on a defense that was gutted by
graduations and early defections to the NFL a year ago. The result
was a solid, if unspectacular, nine-win season and Capital One Bowl
loss to Michigan, in which underclassmen played enormous roles on
every corner of the depth chart.
Offensive Player of the Year: QB Tim Tebow
Defensive Player of the Year: LB Brandon Spikes
Biggest Surprise: Tebow. Hey, everyone knew he could play,
but there was still plenty of skepticism about his ability to be a
complete quarterback, rather than a glorified fullback. Not any
longer. Without a lot of help from anyone other than WR Percy
Harvin, Tebow became the first player in NCAA history to rush and
pass for 20 touchdowns in the same season, and the first sophomore
to win the Heisman Trophy.
Biggest Disappointment: The Gators had No. 1 LSU on the ropes
on Oct. 6, but allowed the Tigers to wriggle out with a 28-24
victory. Falling victim to Les Miles’ gambles on fourth down,
Florida squandered a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter, yielding
the game-winning score with just 1:09 left on the clock.
Looking Ahead: After catching their breath in 2007, the
Gators are poised to make another run toward an SEC championship and
national title. The defense took its lumps last fall, but will
return in 2008 a little bigger, a lot wiser, and far better prepared
to slow down SEC offenses.
Jan. 1
2008 Capital One Bowl
Michigan 41 ... Florida 35
Michigan rolled up 524 yards of total offense, but it needed
to come back late and hold on to seal the stunning win. Florida
stayed alive on four Wolverine turnovers, including two fumbles from
Mike Hart, as Tim Tebow threw three touchdown passes and Percy
Harvin scored twice on the way to a 35-31 fourth quarter lead. The
Wolverines rallied late with an 18-yard touchdown catch from Adrian
Arrington with 4:12 to play to take the lead, and a 41-yard K.C.
Lopata field goal made it a six-point margin with just over two
minutes to play. But Tebow would get one more shot with the ball on
his own 23. Four misfires later, including an errant fourth down
pass under pressure, and the Wolverines sent head coach Lloyd Carr
out a winner. Chad Henne threw three touchdown passes and Hart ran
for two short scores, but Florida was able to crank out yards in
chunks thanks to Harvin, who amassed 242 yards of total offense.
Offensive Player of the
Game: Florida WR Percy Harvin ran 13 times for 165 yards and a
touchdown and led the team with nine catches for 77 yards and a
score
Defensive Player of the Game: Michigan SS Jamar Adams made
nine tackles, a sack, and had a quarterback hurry
Stat Leaders: Michigan- Passing: Chad Henne,
25-39, 373 yds, 3 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Mike Hart, 32-129, 2 TD. Receiving: Adrian
Arrington, 9-153, 2 TD
Florida - Passing: Tim Tebow, 17-33, 154 yds, 3
TD
Rushing: Percy Harvin, 13-165, 1 TD. Receiving: Percy
Harvin, 9-77, 1 TD
Thoughts & Notes ...
5 Thoughts on the Capital One Bowl ... Michigan took
things to a level it hasn't been at in years. It was flying around
on defense, dominant on offense, and with Chad Henne and Mike Hart
healthy, the attack was unstoppable by everything but turnovers.
Sure, wanting to send head coach Lloyd Carr out with a bang was a
motivation, but for Henne, Hart and Jake Long, is was about ending
their careers with a real, live big win. ... Third down conversions:
Michigan 10 of 15, Florida 2 of 11. ... The Florida secondary might
be young, but it has to be a whole heck of a lot better going into
next year. It gave up too many big plays and had a nightmare of a
time against the big Wolverine receivers. ... If Mike Hart had been
100% all season long, would he have won the Heisman? As he showed
against the Gators, he's a special player when he gets to control a
game.
Nov. 24
Florida 45 ... Florida State 12
Florida rolled up 541 yards of total offense with Tim Tebow
running for scores from 23 and five yards out and throwing for three
scores with two to Louis Murphy. Percy Harvin ran for 157 yards with
a 24-yard touchdown dash putting a cap on the scoring. Florida State
only managed four Gary Cismesia field goals, but he nailed a 60-yard
bomb at the end fo the first half.
Player of the
game:
Florida RB Tim
Tebow completed 19 of 28 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns,
and ran 13 times for 89 yards and two scores
Stat Leaders: Florida State - Passing: Drew
Weatherford, 20-37, 188 yds
Rushing: Preston Parker, 12-48. Receiving: Preston
Parker, 6-55
Florida - Passing: Tim Tebow, 19-28, 262 yds, 3
TD
Rushing: Percy Harvin, 16-157, 1 TD. Receiving: Cornelius
Ingram, 5-75
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... What
else does Tim Tebow have to do to win the Heisman? His consistent
greatness should be enough to get the honor, but apparently coming
up with one of the greatest seasons in college football history
might not get it done. He toyed with Florida State doing whatever he
wanted to get the offense rolling, and now he'll have to sit back
and see if the voters give him his due. The key part about senior
day? There weren't that many of them. This is a loaded team
coming back for next year, and it's just hitting its stride going
into the bowl season.
Nov. 17
Florida 59 ... Florida Atlantic 20
Florida got up to a quick 21-0 lead on a Kestahn Moore
nine-yard run, a blocked punt for a score, and a four-yard catch
from Cornelius Ingram, but Florida Atlantic made things extremely
interesting with a 20-point third quarter helped by a Rusty Smith
20-yard touchdown pass to Cortez Gent and a one-yard Smith run. A
Tim Tebow 26-yard scoring pass to Ingram with nine seconds to play
in the first half started a run of 31 unanswered points. With a
five-yard touchdown run, Tebow set the record for SEC rushing
touchdowns with 20.
Player of the
game:
Florida RB Tim
Tebow completed 25 of 34 passes for 338 yards and three touchdowns,
and ran 11 times for 31 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Florida Atlantic - Passing: Rusty
Smith, 18-33, 290 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Charles Pierre, 9-33. Receiving: Cortez Gent,
6-118, 1 TD
Florida - Passing: Tim Tebow, 25-34, 338 yds, 3
TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Cameron Newton, 6-46, 1 TD. Receiving: Andre
Caldwell,
13-164
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... In a
throwaway game against Florida Atlantic, the offense was able to
open things up a little bit while the defense was able to overcome a
rough second quarter. Tim Tebow once again showed why he needs to be
the favorite for the Heisman, or at least in the top two, by setting
the SEC record for rushing touchdowns in a year with 20, while
throwing tremendously well once again. Andre Caldwell continues to
blow up with a fantastic 13 catch performance. The team's only real
knock was a penalty problem, committing 12 for 75 yards.
Nov. 10
Florida 51 ... South Carolina 31
Tim Tebow ran for a school-record five touchdowns and threw
for two more as Florida won in a rout. South Carolina held a 13-7
lead in the first quarter on a two-yard Cory Boyd run, and then
Tebow took over with three short scores for a 34-14 Gator lead.
Andre Caldwell had a huge day for the Gators with 11 catches for 148
yards and a 21-yard touchdown catch late to seal the win. Boyd ran
for three scores for the Gamecocks, but it wasn't nearly enough.
Florida outgained USC 537 yards to 384.
Player of the
game:
Florida RB Tim
Tebow completed 22 of 32 passes for 304 yards and two touchdowns
with an interception, and ran 26 times for 120 yards and five scores
Stat Leaders: South Carolina - Passing: Blake
Mitchell, 26-42, 316 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Cory Boyd, 17-44, 3 TD. Receiving: Kenny
McKinley, 7-95
Florida - Passing: Tim Tebow, 22-32, 304 yds, 2
TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Tim Tebow, 26-120, 5 TD. Receiving: Andre
Caldwell, 11-148, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... It's
time to put Tim Tebow at the front of the line in the Heisman race.
He's not only throwing more efficiently than anyone in America, but
he's on the verge of breaking the all-time mark for rushing
touchdowns by a quarterback in a season. With 14 coming into the
South Carolina game, he's now at 19 and needing four more to break
the record. He's getting a boost in the passing game with Andre
Caldwell exploding, and now he needs his defense to provide a little
more help.
Nov. 3
Florida 49 ... Vanderbilt 22
Florida jumped out to an early lead on the first of two
one-yard Tim Tebow touchdown runs, and an 18-yard Percy Harvin dash
for a score. Vandy pulled within seven on the first of two one-yard
Mackenzi Adams scoring runs, and then the Gators ended it with a
21-point second quarter run on three Tebow touchdown passes with two
to Andre Caldwell. Harvin later added a 13-yard touchdown run to
make it a route. Florida cranked out 498 yards of total offense,
while Tebow set the SEC record for most rushing touchdowns by a
quarterback in a season with 14.
Player of the
game:
Florida WR Percy
Harvin ran 11 times for 113 yards and two touchdowns, and caught
nine passes for 110 yards.
Stat Leaders: Vanderbilt - Passing: Mackenzi
Adams, 16-32, 159 yds
Rushing: Jeff Jennings, 6-37. Receiving: Earl Bennett,
5-31
Florida - Passing: Tim Tebow, 22-27, 281 yds, 3
TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Percy Harvin, 11-113, 2 TD. Receiving: Percy
Harvin, 9-110
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Florida bounced back nicely from the Georgia loss in a dominant
performance over Vanderbilt. The defense came up with one of its
better performances, while the running game got a nice balance of
Percy Harvin and Kestahn Moore to keep Tim Tebow from having to run
too often with a banged up shoulder. Getting all the weapons
involved will be vital against South Carolina next week, since job
one for Steve Spurrier will be to get to Tebow. Brandon Spikes had
an All-SEC caliber performance stuffing the Commodore running game.
Oct. 27
Georgia 42 ... Florida 30
Georgia showed off its attitude early on, as the entire team
came out to celebrate a one-yard Knowshon Moreno touchdown run to
establish the tenor of the game. Florida responded with a 40-yard
Louis Murphy touchdown catch, but Georgia answered right back with
an 84-yard Mo Massaquoi touchdown catch. The Bulldogs overcame an
interception returned for a score by Wondy Pierre-Louis to get
relative control of the game for the final 35 minutes, with Moreno
running for a 10-yard score at the end of the first half, and
sealing the game with a three-yard scoring run after Florida got Tim
Tebow's second touchdown run of the game. Stafford threw three
touchdown passes highlighted by a great throw to Mikey Henderson,
who made a tough catch, for a 53-yard touchdown.
Player of the
game:
Georgia RB
Knowshown Moreno ran 33 times for 188 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Georgia - Passing: Matthew
Stafford, 11-18, 217 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Knowshon Moreno, 33-188, 3 TD. Receiving:
Sean Bailey, 3-44
Florida - Passing: Tim Tebow, 14-22, 236 yds, 1
TD
Rushing: Percy Harvin, 10-97. Receiving:
Andre Caldwell, 4-56
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Tim
Tebow is hurt. The Gators might have put up 30 points on Georgia,
but seven came from the defense, and the offense wasn't the same
with Tebow getting 13 carries late. Percy Harvin was used more as a
runner, but the big problem was Kestahn Moore's fumbling. Urban
Meyer stopped using him, and then the overall options became
severely limited. Once again, the secondary struggled, and it's
going to be tested the rest of the year until it proves it can
consistently stop the deep ball.
Oct. 20
Florida 45 ... Kentucky 37
Tim Tebow threw four touchdown passes, highlighted by a
66-yard play to Louis Murphy and a one-yard jump-pass to Aaron
Hernandez for a score and a 21-10 lead late in the first half. An
eight-yard touchdown pass to Andre Caldwell to open up the second
half appeared to put the Gators on their way to a blowout, but Andre
Woodson and the Wildcats bombed their way back. Dicky Lyons finished
with three touchdown catches with a 50-yarder and a seven-yarder to
pull within seven late in the fourth, but the Gators put it away
with a two-yard Tebow touchdown run. Kentucky outgained the Gators
512 yards to 427.
Player of the
game: Florida QB Tim Tebow completed 18 of 26 passes for 256
yards and four touchdowns, and he ran 20 times for 78 yards and a
score
Stat Leaders: Florida - Passing: Tim Tebow,
18-26, 256 yds, 4 TD
Rushing: Tim Tebow, 20-78, 1 TD. Receiving: Andre
Caldwell, 6-73, 1 TD
Kentucky - Passing: Andre Woodson, 35-50,
415 yds, 5 TD
Rushing: Derrick Locke, 14-76. Receiving: Steve
Johnson, 8-128
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The
offense is still banking too much on Tim Tebow game-in-and-game-out
to produce, but he's producing. At some point, the running backs
have to get more involved. Kestahn Moore only got six carries, while
Tebow got 20. Getting the ball in Percy Harvin's hands is never a
bad thing. He got six carries and two catches, and while he got
bottled up for the most part, he sprung two big plays to break UK's
back. Finally getting Andre Caldwell back in the mix is a very, very
good thing, allowing the passing game to open up even more.
Oct. 6
LSU 28 ... Florida 24
In one of the year's most thrilling games, LSU chose to go for
it on fourth down deep in Florida territory, rather than kick the
field goal that would've tied it, got it, and finished off the drive
with a two-yard Jacob Hester touchdown run with just over a minute
to play. Tim Tebow's last gasp Hail Mary was batted down in the end
zone. Florida jumped out to a 10-0 lead on a 31-yard field goal and
a two-yard touchdown catch from Kestahn Moore, and took a 17-7 lead
into halftime on a one-yard Tebow run. LSU dominated the second
half, controlling things on the ground, with Keiland Williams
scoring from four yards out and Demetrius Byrd catching a four-yard
scoring pass, but a 37-yard Cornelius Ingram scoring play helped
Florida stay ahead until the final moments.
Player of
the game:
LSU S Craig
Steltz made 16 tackles, and Florida DE/LB Jermaine Cunninghman made
17 tackles and broke up two passes
Stat Leaders: LSU - Passing: Matt Flynn,
14-27, 144 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jacob Hester, 23-106, 1 TD. Receiving:
Brandon LaFell, 6-73
Florida - Passing: Tim Tebow, 12-26, 158
yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Kestahn Moore, 12-79. Receiving:
Percy Harvin, 4-58
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
What happened to the Florida run
defense? In the second half, the Gators couldn't get LSU off the
field, but were still in the game until the end. It took LSU
converting all five first down chances, and it took several
gut-check calls to pull it off. Florida played well in the first
half, found ways to get points on the board, played tough defense
early, and did a great job in a hostile setting, but this was a game
about the defensive line. It did its best, but couldn't get the one
big stop despite having several chances.
Sept. 29
Auburn 20 ... Florida 17
Wes Byrum appeared to hit the game-winning 43-yard field goal
for Auburn, but Florida head coach Urban Meyer had called time out
just before the kick. No big deal. Byrum calmly nailed it again, as
the Tigers stunned the Gators. Auburn took a 17-3 lead going into
the fourth quarter, thanks to a 30-yard Byrum field goal, and
scoring runs from six yards out by Kodi Burns and three yards out
from Ben Tate. The Gators roared back in the fourth with Tim Tebow
connecting with Cornelius Ingram for a six-yard touchdown pass, and
barreling in from two yards out to tie it up. Florida had one final
drive, went three and out, and Auburn went on its march to win the
game.
Player of
the game:
Auburn QB
Brandon Cox completed 17 of 26 passes for 227 yards
Stat Leaders: Florida - Passing: Tim Tebow,
20-27, 201 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Tim Tebow, 19-75, 1 TD. Receiving: Percy
Harvin, 7-119
Auburn - Passing: Brandon Cox, 17-26, 227
yds
Rushing: Ben Tate, 20-65, 1 TD. Receiving: Rod
Smith, 9-102
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... If the
Gators weren't going to lose this week to Auburn, they were going to
lose in the near future, and more than once, because of the lack of
a running back threat. Auburn's defense might be good, but the
Gators didn't even pretend to get anyone other than Tim Tebow
involved in the running game. Tebow might have been great, but the
Florida offense was rolling early on, the running backs were getting
the ball. Basically, the offense has become way too predictable.
It's either going to be Tebow running the ball, or Percy Harvin
getting involved in some way. That's good enough to beat just about
anyone in America, but Florida can't win consistently, or be as
dominant as it should, until all the parts are working on a regular
basis.
Sept. 22
Florida 30 ... Ole Miss 24
Florida got up 27-9 on two Tim Tebow touchdown runs and a
19-yard pass play to Percy Harvin, but had to hang on as Ole Miss
rallied late in the third quarter on a Seth Adams 19-yard touchdown
pass to Shay Hodge, and a 77-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace.
The Gators were able to get up by six late on a 25-yard Joey Ijjas
field goal, and then the defense held as Ole Miss couldn't get a
first down on its final drive. The two teams combined to commit 24
penalties for 197 yards.
Player of the
game:
Florida QB Tim
Tebow completed 20 of 34 passes for 261 yards and two touchdowns,
and ran 27 carries for 166 yards and two scores
Stat Leaders: Ole Miss - Passing: Seth Adams,
18-31, 302 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: BenJarvus Green-Ellis, 11-37. Receiving: Shay
Hodge, 7-81, 1 TD
Florida - Passing: Tim Tebow, 20-34, 261 yds, 2
TD
Rushing: Tim Tebow, 27-166, 2 TD. Receiving: Percy
Harvin,
11-121, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... For
the first time, there appears to be a chink in the armor with the
running game, outside of Tim Tebow, struggling against Ole Miss, and
the pass defense had a few breakdowns. This is Ole Miss that threw
for 302 yards, and while 77 of them came on one play, it still might
have been just enough to keep Florida on the outside looking in when
it comes to the current discussion of the national title contenders.
Of course, with wins over Auburn and at LSU over the next two weeks,
that would change right back. First, everyone has to get healthy,
and second, the penalties have to stop. Committing 14 for 127 yards
is ridiculous.
Sept. 15
Florida 59 ... Tennessee 20
Florida showed off all its speed and talent scoring in all
phases. Brandon James started off the scoring with an 83-yard punt
return for a touchdown and Tim Tebow threw for two scores and ran
for another, but Tennessee hung tough thanks to a 15-yard Chris
Brown touchdown catch and a 96-yard interception return for a score
from Eric Berry. But the Gators responded with a defensive touchdown
of its own on a fumble return for a score from Dustin Doe, and then
Percy Harvin put it away with an electrifying 19-yard touchdown run
as past of a 31-point run to close out the game.
Player of the
game:
Florida QB Tim
Tebow finished 14-of-19 for 299 yards, two touchdowns and an
interception, while running 18 times for 61 yards and two
touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Tennessee - Passing: Erik Ainge,
26-41, 249 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Arian Foster, 11-26. Receiving: Josh Briscoe,
8-76
Florida - Passing: Tim Tebow, 14-19, 299 yds, 2
TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Percy Harvin, 9-75, 1 TD. Receiving: Percy
Harvin, 4-120
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Is
it now time for America to jump on the Florida bandwagon? Let out of
the national title discussion by most, the Gators showed just how
fast, talented, and loaded they are even after needing to replace a
slew of top players. This was supposed to be Tim Tebow's coming out
party, and while it sort of was, this was more of a showcase for the
entire team. It's going to take a whale of an effort for anyone to
touch this team in Gainesville, and it might take a slew of Gator
mistakes for anyone other than LSU to have a shot at pulling off an
upset.
Sept. 8
Florida 59 ... Troy 31
Florida cranked out 49 first half points as Tim Tebow threw
three touchdown passes and ran for a three-yard score. Troy didn't
exactly make it interesting after going into the lockerroom down by 42,
but it didn't give up as Omar Haugabook ran for a touchdown and threw
two touchdown passes. Tebow added a 16-yard touchdown run late in the
fourth after playing the entire game. Florida outgained the Trojans 500
yards to 336 and 264 yards to 53 on the ground.
Player
of the game:
Florida QB Tim Tebow went 18-of-25 for 236 yards and three touchdown
passes, and had 93 yards and two more scores on the ground.
Stat Leaders: Troy - Passing: Omar Haugabook, 29-52,
283 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: DuJuan Harris, 6-18. Receiving: Austin Silvoy,
5-72, 2 TDs
Florida - Passing: Tim Tebow, 18-25, 236 yds, 3 TDs
Rushing: Tim Tebow, 17-93, 2 TDs. Receiving: Cornelius
Ingram, 7-105, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Call
the win over Troy the perfect scenario for the Gator coaching staff. The
outcome was never in doubt after a huge first half, but a sloppy second
half, two fumbles, and 11 penalties for 104 yards will let Urban Meyer
yell at his guys about focusing for a full sixty minutes before the
showdown with Tennessee. Tim Tebow has been terrific so far, and Kestahn
Moore had a good game running the ball. Percy Harvin has had a nice
start to the season and has to be the number two concern for defensive
coordinators behind Tebow. He's proving to be too dangerous to not
always know where he is, even if he only got the ball in his hands seven
times.
Sept. 1
Florida 49 ... Western Kentucky 3
Florida did whatever it wanted to against WKU as Tim Tebow
started off the scoring with a one-yard run and then connected
with Riley Cooper for a 59-yard touchdown and Percy Harvin for a
19-yard score for a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter.
Western Kentucky didn't get on the board until the end of the
half on a 26-yard Chris James field goal for its only highlight
of the game. Tebow and Cooper connected again in the third
quarter for a 42-yard score. Kestahn Moore ran for two short
scores.
Player of
the game ...
Florida QB
Tim Tebow was 13-of-17 for 300 yards and three touchdowns and
ran eight times for 38 yards and another score.
Stat Leaders: Western Kentucky - Passing:
K.J. Black, 10-13, 102 yds
Rushing: Tyrell Hayden, 11-32 Receiving: Jake
Gaebler, 4-43
Florida - Passing: Tim Tebow, 13-17, 300
yds, 3 TDs
Rushing: Kestahn Moore, 16-91, 2TDs Receiving: Riley
Cooper, 4-122, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Don't dismiss how important it was
for Tim Tebow to get off to a hot start, even if it was against
Western Kentucky. Anything less than a fantastic game would've
raised a few eyebrows, but he was in command, made good
decisions, and put the ball in places where his receivers could
make plays. Predictably, the defense was simply too much for WKU
as Derrick Harvey cranked out two sacks and Brandon Spikes was
allover the field making 11 tackles. This was a defending
national champion performance.
|